Well, I suppose this was inevitable: the FBI, via a Freedom of Information Act request denial, inadvertently admitted to using Carrier IQ data. That’s data about you, sucked off of your phone, without your knowledge.
The government transparency wranglers at MuckRock filed for a FOIA release on the FBI’s use of Carrier IQ, and by saying no, they almost said it all:
The material you requested is located in an investigative file which is exempt from disclosure…
That is to say, we have documents detailing our work with Carrier IQ, but we’re not going to tell you about it. MuckRock’s original request was for “manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyse data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ” — and these are the documents the FBI admitted to having. Whether this is an absolute admission of spying, or rather an investigation of Carrier IQ, isn’t exactly clear. But the “access or analyze” language points to the former. MuckRock is appealing its FOIA case. We’ll see what turns up next. [MuckRock via BoingBoing]
Drew
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:08 AMWell no, it doesn’t mean that at all.
The FBI may be using Carrier IQ in ways others than what the carriers have used and in no way means that they are using the information gathered from a civilians phone.
Jack
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:26 AMFBI are using much more than carrier IQ.
maddogeco
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:30 AMas an Aussie with a phone that may or maynot have CiQ on board does the FBI monitor me? where does the law sit on this?
Craig
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 12:04 PMAustralian phones shouldn’t have CarrierIQ on them anyway. It’s only phones from the US that appear to have it embedded from what I have seen. If your phone runs Android then grab one of the many apps from the app store and check if it is installed, too (for peace of mind if nothing else, mine is clean).
joe
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 12:05 PMlawyer up, it’s time to get paid
Nate
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 12:14 PMPretty boring file. Facebook, gizmodo, omg, bbq, lol stfu.. real useful
awallafashagba
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 12:24 PMhas anyone actually asked the US phone companies.. I suggest the following questions.
1. Hello Verizon – Are you installing Carrier IQ on my phone so that you can peek into my day to day whereabouts and doing
and forward on etc etc
Lolz
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 6:25 PMNot sure if retarded or just extremely optimistic of society.
Ollie
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 12:36 PMRelevant to Australia how? Our privacy laws actually prevent this kind of interaction, and I know that my SGS2 is clean. Unless the checking software is actually conspiring to take over the CarrierIQ and re-route the information to the creator of that… OMG Conspiracy!!!!
DarthDVD
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 2:29 PMso…. i wonder if any gray imported phones from the USA have Carrier IQ on them…. i’m sure they would have it installed on the phone and if the fbi or who ever has access to that information would be braking australian privacy laws….
warcroft
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 7:52 PM*sigh*
Ive said it numerous times before and Ill say it again. . .
1996 telecommunications act.
Every mobile phone is to be traced and monitored by authorities for “emergency purposes”.
EVERY mobile phone.
Go look it up. Go read it.
ds22
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 10:14 PMdid you really sigh, irl?
warcroft
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:00 AMI did actually.